CVE-2023-23516
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.7.3, macOS Ventura 13.2, macOS Monterey 12.6.3. An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA memory handling vulnerability in macOS kernel allows a malicious local application to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges. This is a local privilege escalation flaw affecting multiple macOS versions.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 11.0.0, < 11.7.3>= 12.0.0, < 12.6.3>= 13.0, < 13.2CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed macOS versionOpen Terminal and run: `sw_vers -productVersion` or go to System Settings > AboutAffected if Version is 11.0.0 to 11.7.2, 12.0.0 to 12.6.2, or 13.0 to 13.1
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Verify build numberRun `sw_vers -buildVersion` in TerminalAffected if Build number corresponds to an unpatched version in the affected ranges
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Check Security Update statusGo to System Settings > Software Update > More Info and review installed security updatesAffected if No security update for CVE-2023-23516 is listed as installed
System is affected if running macOS 11.7.2 or earlier, 12.6.2 or earlier, or 13.1 or earlier without the CVE-2023-23516 security patch applied.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped11.7.312.6.313.2
Apply the available security updates: macOS Big Sur 11.7.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.3, or macOS Ventura 13.2. Prioritize patching systems where untrusted local users or applications have access.
macOS Big Sur 11.7.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.3, or macOS Ventura 13.2 (depending on which major version line you are on)
- Identify the current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting About This Mac
- Back up important data using Time Machine or another backup solution before proceeding with the upgrade
- Upgrade to the appropriate fixed version based on your current macOS release: If running macOS Big Sur 11.x, upgrade to 11.7.3; If running macOS Monterey 12.x, upgrade to 12.6.3; If running macOS Ventura 13.0-13.1, upgrade to 13.2
- To upgrade, go to System Preferences (or System Settings on Ventura), click Software Update, and install the available update
- After rebooting, verify the system is running the fixed version by checking About This Mac
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-23516 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-23516 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data